Verbena plant named ‘Suntapimabai’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Suntapimabai’, characterized by its semi-upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; and intense purple violet-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Verbena×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNTAPIMABAI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Suntapimabai’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely branching Verbena plants with semi-upright and mounding plant habit and attractive flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in April, 2010 in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan of a proprietary selection of Verbena×hybrida identified as code number SUNV46, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Verbena×hybrida identified as code number SUNV19, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in October, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since October, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Suntapimabai’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Suntapimabai’ as a new and distinct Verbena plant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Intense purple violet-colored flowers that are held above and         beyond the foliar plane.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the female and male parent selections. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the female and male parent selections in plant size as plants of the new Verbena are taller than plants of the female and male parent selections. In addition, plants of the new Verbena and the female and male parent selections differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have light pink-colored flowers and plants of the male parent selection have deep violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena×hybrida ‘Sunmaref TP-V’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,411. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Verbena differed primarily from plants of ‘Sunmaref TP-V’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more upright and mounding than         and not as trailing as plants of ‘Sunmaref TP-V’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena were taller than and not as broad         as plants of ‘Sunmaref TP-V’.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘Sunmaref TP-V’ differed in         flower color as plants of ‘Sunmaref TP-V’ had vivid         purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suntapimabai’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suntapimabai’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Verbena production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena×hybrida ‘Suntapimabai’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Verbena×hybrida identified as code number SUNV46, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Verbena×hybrida identified as code number SUNV19, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 10 to 14             days at temperatures about 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 20° C. to 25°             C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Semi-upright and mounding plant             habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral branches             developing per plant, pinching enhances lateral branch             development; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 22.4 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 63.9 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 19.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.22 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong; flexible.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 138C; distally tinged with close to N81A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 3 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.22 cm.         -   Shape.—Broadly angular to ovate; pinnately cleft with deep             incisions.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Pinnately cleft with deep incisions.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, coarse.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 137A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137D; venation, close to 138C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 7.6 mm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 145A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             hemispherical terminal racemes; flowers face mostly upright             and outwardly; flowers sessile; freely flowering habit with             about ten flowers per inflorescence and about 112             inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             spring to late autumn in Japan; plants begin flowering about             four weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant;             flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.25 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.92 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,             five-parted. Diameter: About 1.53 cm. Depth (height): About             1.75 cm. Tube length: About 1.4 cm. Tube diameter,             mid-section: About 1.3 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.06 cm. Diameter: About 2.8 mm.             Shape: Clavate. Color: Close to N89B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.             Petal length: About 7.1 mm. Petal width: About 6.3 mm. Petal             lobe shape: Cordate. Petal lobe apex: Cordate. Petal lobe             margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, when             opening, upper surface: Lighter than 83A. Petal, when             opening, lower surface: Close to 83B. Petal, fully opened,             upper surface: Close to N81A; color becoming lighter than             N81A with development. Petal, fully opened, lower surface:             Close to N81B. Throat: Close to 193C; distally, close to             77B. Tube: Close to 193C; distally, close to 77C.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Narrow tubular calyx comprised of five             fused sepals. Sepal length: About 1.2 mm. Sepal width: About             1 mm. Sepal shape: Triangular. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal             margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Sepal color: When developing and fully developed,             upper surface: Close to 144A; towards the apex, close to             64A. When developing and fully developed, lower surface:             Close to 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Strong; flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close             to 137B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement: Four             per flower, adnate to corolla tube. Anther shape:             Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 0.7 mm by 1 mm. Anther             color: Close to 149B. Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils:             Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 141A. Style             color: Close to 141D. Ovary color: Close to 141A. Fruits and             seeds: Fruit and seed development have not been observed on             plants of the new Verbena. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Suntapimabai’ as illustrated and described. 